M1 Princes Motorway upgrade takes another step forward

Community feedback has been released on M1 Princes Motorway design marking another step closer to the beginning of works

Stage 1 will widen motorway to six lanes between Picton Road and Bellambi Creek

Work on $84 million project due to start in late 2018

Community feedback on the proposed design for the M1 Princes Motorway upgrades is now available online.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said the Australian and New South Wales governments had jointly allocated $84 million to build the first stage of the project.

“The proposed upgrade involves widening the road to a six-lane divided road and realigning several tight curves to improve safety and journey times for motorists,” Mr Chester said.

“The initial stage, expected to start in late 2018, will see additional lanes in both directions between Picton Road and Bellambi Creek, improving safety around slow-moving heavy vehicles for the 37,000 vehicles using the road every day.”

Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward said 11 submissions were received in response to the Review of Environmental Factors for the first stage of the project.

“While the majority of the submissions supported the proposal, the report also includes a summary of the questions and concerns raised by the public, with responses to each query,” Mr Ward said.

“The report also identifies new or revised environmental management measures as a result of these submissions.

“The main issues raised include the impact to groundwater systems, the effect on the Eastern Pygmy Possum and the impacts on surface water quality.”